An exploration into the customs and practices surrounding Chinese New Year in both China and the United States. In China, the Chinese return home for the most important cultural holiday of the year, for which people have been preparing for weeks. In ...America, the most prominent symbol of Chinese New Year is the dragon, said to represent good luck. New Year ushers in a series of festivals beginning with the 15-day Spring Festival and ending with the Lantern Festival, often called the Chinese Valentine's Day, because of its association with lovers. (2:55)[more]

This 44 minute video is excellent and the opening page also featurs little known facts about him. Confucius was an ancient Chinese thinker and social philosopher. Scholars believe he was born in 551 B.C. near the city of Qufu. Brought up in poverty, ...he meditated a great deal about social relationships; his philosophies emphasized personal and governmental morality. Confucius' beliefs form a kind of ethic. His disciples later turned his teachings into a list of elaborate rules and this video explains this using a narrator and actor[more]

The spread of Buddhism in China during the Han dynasty was rapid after the the Qin dynasty. Many people turned to Buddhism for an end to suffering of that time. The Silk Road played an important role in the spread of Buddhism because influences from ...other countries were open to China. Many different variations of Buddhism developed after the religion reached China. This slow loading 19 minute uses a narrator and some easy to follow graphics to help explain this religion and its relationships with other religions. Many insights are provided.[more]

3:29 Embroidary: Husband and wife team, Zhe Yong Qing and Sun Xiu Ying, produce these custom made boxes traditionally as dowry boxes, but also to carry supplies for the families of those recently deceased.
To make each box, Zhe begins with a mat tha...t he weaves from Chinese sorghum stalks. After sweeping the mat to remove dirt and dust, he wheat-pastes pieces of newspaper to the mat and traces an outline for the box’s panels. Sometimes cardboard is substituted as a cheaper alternative to sorghum stalks. The design is cut out of the mat and Sun glues strips of fabric along the edges of the box to ensure smoothness. Sun then sews the box together.
The assembled box is decorated with papercut designs and the top is
painted. The designs depict butterflies, birds, fruit, and a variety of
flowers. Although the box-making process is shared between Zhe and Sun,
Zhe’s mother (a clever woman who also taught them the craft) created the designs.
Xiaozhan Village, Shandong Province, China
MORE: http://chinavine.org/2011/11/14/needle-and-thread-box-zhe-yong-qing-sun-xiu-ying-artist-at-work/[more]

5:21 March 2009 Jiuzhou village in Guizhou province during the sister meal festival that takes place every year in the heart of spring. The dance performance is only by women. See the beautiful costumes and silver jewelry. Wine is served in seashells....[more]

3:22 Miao Performance at Matang
Beautiful Costumes, Jewelry, Music, dance, song and video!
In Matang Village at the Longchang Town, Kaili City, Guizhou Province, people call called themselves Ge rather than Miao. They are recognized as one of the d...ivisions of Miao in China.
With aid from the Chinese government, Matang Village and Shilong Village both developed a circle-shaped public venue to perform their traditional dancing in order to encourage tourism. Performers line up at the entrance of the village and the sound of firecrackers welcome guests. Before getting into the village, guests are served homemade rice wine during traditional singing. Village people pour wine into guests’ mouths to represent their respect to the guests. After the short welcoming ceremony, the entire group moves to the square for the formal performances.
http://chinavine.org/subject/miao-performance-at-matang-2/[more]

This 3:22 long video explains that the Chinese New Year is based on a myth that involved a monster eating crops and people from Chinese villages. The population was finally able to drive the monster away due to his fear of the color red, and by leavi...ng food on their
doorsteps, and so what followed was jubilant celebration. This holiday is now seen as a time to gather with family and partake in the ancient rituals associated with the festival. Good images and fast paced. Well worth watching.[more]

One mile long and 600 feet high, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is a project of epic proportions — and controversy. The dam, completed in 2008, created a vast reservoir extending 370 miles, about the distance from Los Angeles to San Franci...sco. It brings drinking water to northern China and generates as much electricity as 18 coal-fired power plants. But it has also displaced some two million people and caused widespread flooding, destroying rural villages and cultural treasures. Subtitled 08:02 run time[more]

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